The Credentials
Pennyhill Park in Bagshot describes itself as ‘Surrey’s most luxurious spa and hotel retreat, offering guests the ultimate reset button.’ The hotel stretches out across 120 acres. A nature walk that takes you across the vast grounds, which would be the envy of any large country estate. The hotel itself has a different vibe, with endless new buildings erected around the original residence. The place is a full-blown sensory reset nestled unexpectedly in the middle of the Surrey countryside. It’s London’s new money, but done right. Think light, floral, clean-lined opulence with occasional nod to the Greco-Roman spa aesthetic.
Sleep
We arrive at the hotel in the afternoon and are immediately whisked away by the lovely Bianca, who guides us through a labyrinth of floral-covered walkways looking out onto Tudor-like mews and ancient Beeches and Aspens, until we reach our room.
The room we’re given has simple decor and features a four-poster bed, a TV, complimentary snacks from some popular brands (Proper Corn and Montezuma’s Chocolate are a particular hit), a modern shower room with two sinks and a toilet that looks like it belongs in the Design Museum.
On top of this, stairs lead to a mezzanine with a pillared jacuzzi-sized bath for two, a second TV and a chaise-longue to collapse on afterwards. As wonderful as this feature is, when we tried it, the water didn’t heat up as much as we’d have liked. However, it didn’t ruin our experience. With a spa like the one I’m about to describe, you’d be wanting very little else in that area…
The Spa
The spa is one of the most extensive I’ve visited. The new build exterior has an outline of oversized turrets, giving just a hint of ‘castle’. You enter via an indoor Greco-Roman pool room. To the left is an assortment of experiences for every taste: saunas and steam rooms, foot baths, plunge pools and even a mud room. These experiences never seem to end, with more options around every corner. A few of the rooms had aromatherapy in the steam, which I tend to avoid as I can be quite sensitive to them, but my guest lapped them up! For me, there was so much on offer aside from the steam that it didn’t matter. The spa continues outside, with two pools at different temperatures, multiple jacuzzis, a well-stocked pool bar, and some rather glamorous private Cabanas (for those living their best lives). This spa, some good sun, and the bar’s Margaritas on tap would have been enough to entertain me for days!
Dine
There are two main restaurants at Pennyhill Park, the Hillyfield and The Latymer.
The Hillyfield is the main eatery, serving seasonal and local produce. Situated on the other side of the lounge room and bar, it’s a light and spacious restaurant that has the feel of a brasserie without being too busy or bustling. This is also where they serve breakfast in the morning (more on that soon). The space overlooks the spa, a perfect carrot dangled to remind us that we still have access after checkout until 2pm.
The Latymer is a dark, intimate venue in the original building, in what feels like a secret corner of the hotel. The Michelin star tasting menu is a thing of beauty, and moves effortlessly between precision and surprise.
The Latymer
We start the experience with a bright and fruity white chosen by the sommelier, with a crisp top and a really, really light back end. It was delicious, and I am not a white wine person. The menu started with a selection of snacks. The first was truffle-topped cheese gougères – light and fluffy, a beautiful balance of sweet and sharp; followed by a Jerusalem artichoke tart – subtly smoky, with a glaze finish. Next, a Veal Tartare, citrusy and fresh; finally, the Potato croquette, which is a hearty way to round off the snacks – playfully presented, topped with a micro green nasturtium leaf and with an English mustard base.
Alex and Judy are the pastry chefs who make the bread there daily. We’re treated to a soda bread with honey, paired with miso butter, and an undeniably perfect sourdough, baked from a 10-year-old starter, which is fed at 11pm every night.
The next course is the Crab salad (sourced in Brixham – famed for its succulent red crab), served with cucumber foam atop and a crab custard below, which is so light it almost melts away in your mouth. The course comes with a crab biscuit that’s so sweet and crispy, you almost forget you’re eating crab until that flavour hits you at the back end. The dish is delicate and flavoursome – my guest and I relax into it at this point; every dish is a hit.
Other highlights include the Rose veal, braised to perfection for 15 hours; Oyster scallop with Catalonian black bitter truffle shaved in front of us, earthy, creamy, visceral and complex.
The mains were accompanied by an Italian Molpulticano: a fruity, medium-bodied red with a nice sharp finish.
We cave and say yes to the cheese course —all English and Welsh cheeses. We went for the IPA-washed Maida Vale and the Riesling. The accompaniments, including bread crackers and both damson and quince jellies, are plentiful. We were so full at this point that we went for two cheeses, but the server recommends four, and in hindsight, I regret not going the whole hog.
For dessert, we’re served a Grapefruit sorbet with a honey biscuit, zinging with freshness, and next, the deeply satisfying Chanticleer apple Pamplona. This dish, with layers of vanilla crème, crispy sea-salted pastry, and topped with a bright raspberry sorbet, disappeared almost as soon as it arrived.
The Hillyfield
We attended breakfast at the Hillyfield the next morning. The offerings are high-end farmhouse foods with a focus on quality over quantity. There was house-made granola and Greek yoghurt, local cheese, fresh pastries and honey farmed from their own bees. My guest ordered a hot meal, which was a nourishing vegan hash with a fet-like Superstraccia. I’d been too full from the night before to order anything that wasn’t from the buffet, but when I tasted his meal, I felt instant regret.
Who goes there?
The clientele was a mix of couples on weekend dates away, families (though not many young children) and girl groups, all taking advantage of the resort experience just an hour or so out of London.
The Worst Thing
What I love about visiting British country house hotels is the history. According to the website, Pennyhill’s history stretches back to 1609, when it was used as a beacon warning site to herald the arrival of the Spanish Armada.
I don’t think the site’s history was leaned into as much as it could have been in certain areas of the hotel (particularly in the room we stayed in). However, that isn’t Pennyhill’s USP, and its USP is done incredibly well: a huge range of rejuvenating experiences in a luxury, sleek and modern setting.
The Best Thing
That would be a tie between the extensive spa and the Latymer tasting menu, making the trip worth every (excuse the pun) penny.
The Details
Rooms at Pennyhill Park vary seasonally and start at £375 per night
Pennyhill Park, London Road, Bagshot, Surrey, GU19 5EU
